English Phonetics and Phonology

A practical course

Peter Roach

Fourth edition

Chapter 19
Exercise

Listen to the following passage, which is based on a recording of Peter Roach in an old radio broadcast:

I think in recent years weve seen much more of a consensus on the suprasegmental side. I think
more and more people say dont worry too much about vowels and consonants, but do concentrate
on the rhythm, on the stress. I think theres a growing body of evidence that the major causes of
misunderstandings, and of lack of fluency if you like, are to be found in in rhythmical mistakes
and wrong placement of stress, failure to weaken the weak syllables, and so on.

Now listen to each tone-unit in turn. Each syllable has a button beneath it: click on the button for the syllable
you think is the tonic syllable. Then in the drop-down menu on the right choose the tone you think it carries.
1

I think in recent years

people say

weve seen much more of a consensus

on the suprasegmental side

dont worry too much about vowels

and consonants

I think more and more

but do concentrate on the rhythm

on the stress

Check Answers

65

Start Again

Cambridge University Press

Answers to Exercise Chapter 19

1 I think in recent years

/
2 weve seen much more of a consensus

\/
3 on the suprasegmental side

\
4 I think more and more

\/
5 people say

/
6 dont worry too much about vowels and consonants

\/
7 but do concentrate on the rhythm

\
8 on the stress

\

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Cambridge University Press